Brett Anderson (without the cheese burgers) to start Tuesday for A’s

When Brett Anderson throws the first pitch of Tuesday night’s game at the Coliseum, it’ll be his first big-league pitch since June 5, 2011.

“I like where I’m at,” he said Monday, his recovery from Tommy John surgery complete. “It’ll be fun to pitch against another big-league team in front of a big-league crowd instead of 350 people and 100 percent humidity in New Orleans.”

Anderson was reinstated and will replace Dan Straily, who was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. The lefty made five rehab starts for Sacramento (after pitching once for Class A Stockton), going 1-1 with a 4.62 ERA. He issued just five walks in 25 1/3 innings.

Suddenly, he’s in a pennant race.

“It makes it that much better,” Anderson said. “The innings are more meaningful, and you need to pitch well to keep your spot because Straily deserves to be in the rotation as much as anybody. He hasn’t done anything to disprove that. It’s not like you’re pitching for your job every time out, but you kind of have to approach it that way.”

Anderson says he’s between 225 and 230 pounds, significantly lighter than he was when throwing his last major-league pitch, back on June 5, 2011, when he checked in at 248 pounds.

“I feel strong. I feel healthy. Hopefully it’ll translate to good things. Who knows? If it doesn’t, then maybe I’ll go eat cheese burgers and try to get fatter.”

To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the A’s designated catcher Anthony Recker for assignment.